In The Passionate Teacher, Ron Fried describes the Game of School (GOS) as what happens when teachers and students forsake intellectual work and instead engage in their classes as rituals. Take this opportunity to consider this chapter in light of some of the the other experiences that you've had this semester. What elements of the game of school are you seeing in your placements? How have you seen teachers fight the game of school in their classes? What similarities, if any, did you see between the descriptions of American classes in the Teaching Gap and the Game of School? Finally, what impact will this description of the GOS have on your own approach to teaching as expressed in your teaching philosophy?
Observation:
In my placements some of the elements of the Game of School that I am seeing are students given worksheets to complete in class, checking homework in class, collecting work during class, morning announcements and even the ritual of homeroom. I have also seen activities conducted in a ritualistic manner. Lately, I've noticed students in my middle placement that are playing the Game of School well. I made an anticipation guide about cycles for the students and I noticed that some of the students would give me the answer they thought I wanted, which was directly from the book. In my middle school placement I notice that my CT fights the Game of School. She tries to make her whole class time about learning and engage the students to the best of her capability. I think I've seen her fight against the Game of School mostly when she has to work with the special educator whom I think is deep into the Game of School. I've seen my CT struggle with trying to understand and work with a teacher who seems to be playing the role of teacher or "pretending" as fried describes it.
Reflection:
I think some of the similarities between the American classes in The Teaching Gap and the Game of School would be that the American classes were following the pattern of learning presented by the teacher. The students would learn the procedure and practice the equations. That was their role in the Game of School and the teachers for the most part would give the give the students the procedure and walk them through the problems. The teachers in the American classroom were not asking the students to think critically about the problems so they could truly understand the problems. There were also a lot of needless interruptions in the American classrooms in The Teaching Gap that are definitely rituals that take up much needed class time.
The impact that the description of the Game of School will have on my own approach to teaching will be that I will try to focus on the my student learning and being engaged in the class. I think that a lot of student engagement involves fighting against playing the Game of School. I remember from when I was a student having to do the same old worksheets and homework where it did not require much of me and I knew exactly what the teacher wanted. The assignments were like a ritual. I think the ritual makes the information seem unimportant. I would like to have my students engaged and thinking critically about the information they are learning. In my classroom I hope to avoid many of the rituals of the Game of School by focusing on student engagement.
Observation:
In my placements some of the elements of the Game of School that I am seeing are students given worksheets to complete in class, checking homework in class, collecting work during class, morning announcements and even the ritual of homeroom. I have also seen activities conducted in a ritualistic manner. Lately, I've noticed students in my middle placement that are playing the Game of School well. I made an anticipation guide about cycles for the students and I noticed that some of the students would give me the answer they thought I wanted, which was directly from the book. In my middle school placement I notice that my CT fights the Game of School. She tries to make her whole class time about learning and engage the students to the best of her capability. I think I've seen her fight against the Game of School mostly when she has to work with the special educator whom I think is deep into the Game of School. I've seen my CT struggle with trying to understand and work with a teacher who seems to be playing the role of teacher or "pretending" as fried describes it.
Reflection:
I think some of the similarities between the American classes in The Teaching Gap and the Game of School would be that the American classes were following the pattern of learning presented by the teacher. The students would learn the procedure and practice the equations. That was their role in the Game of School and the teachers for the most part would give the give the students the procedure and walk them through the problems. The teachers in the American classroom were not asking the students to think critically about the problems so they could truly understand the problems. There were also a lot of needless interruptions in the American classrooms in The Teaching Gap that are definitely rituals that take up much needed class time.
The impact that the description of the Game of School will have on my own approach to teaching will be that I will try to focus on the my student learning and being engaged in the class. I think that a lot of student engagement involves fighting against playing the Game of School. I remember from when I was a student having to do the same old worksheets and homework where it did not require much of me and I knew exactly what the teacher wanted. The assignments were like a ritual. I think the ritual makes the information seem unimportant. I would like to have my students engaged and thinking critically about the information they are learning. In my classroom I hope to avoid many of the rituals of the Game of School by focusing on student engagement.